Armed with an array of fastmoving practice drills – Around the World and Queen of the Court among them – Bow girls tennis coach Jean VerPlanck oversees a group of 21 athletes who are happy, having fun and carefree …

… Well, two out of three anyway.

With early-season challenge matches pitting up-and-coming hopefuls against more established players, the team’s competitive nature is sharp. However, VerPlanck tempers the on-court expectations, and accompanying nerves, with a consistent dose of encouraging words.

The athletes follow her lead.

“Everybody wants to be here,” said VerPlanck, an instructor at Goffstown’s Allard Center for approximately 20 years. “They’re very caring about each other.”

Following a solid 10-3 record in 2007, Bow mixes camaraderie, teamwork and respectful behavior with something VerPlanck and assistant coach Karen Leclerc also insist upon every day: “Have a good time out there.”

Following April 10’s challenge matches, which can alter the seedings of the team’s top six singles players, there was, said VerPlanck, a mixture of tears and cheers among her charges.

For now, the coach sends transfer student Kate Torres, a junior, to face any foe’s top player.

Another junior, Mariah Leven, is the Falcons’ No. 2 player. Torres and Leven also compete as Bow’s top doubles team.

Seniors anchor the third through sixth seeds. Katie Foy is the No. 4 singles player. The others – Jordan Card at No. 3, Morgan Seney at No. 5 and Stephanie Carlson at No. 6 – share the captaincy. VerPlanck said Card, Seney and Carlson, each a fouryear veteran, naturally bring experience to the squad.

Foy and Seney usually take the No. 2 doubles spot for Bow, said VerPlanck, while Card and Carlson often compete as the third-seeded doubles team. Stephanie Malanga, another junior, is also constantly pushing for a spot among the top six, said the coach.

To be clear, VerPlanck and Leclerc want the girls to win. The team collected one lopsided victory over Kearsarge, 8-1, and that was a day after a 5-4 season-opening loss to Bishop Brady on April 8. Yet there is another, far more important triumph VerPlanck envisions, however the ball bounces for Bow this spring.

“Sometimes people, regardless of the outcome (of a match), have to allow themselves to be happy (with their best effort),” she said.

Judging by the laughter and learning that occur during a typical practice, Bow has already met success in 2008.

Match notes
The team lost just two games in overmatching Kingswood on Monday, April 14, 9-0. Torres at No. 1 and Malanga at No. 6 both won 8-1. Everyone else – Leven, Card, Foy and Seney – shut out their opponent in singles play. Torres and Leven, Card and Foy, and Seney and Malanga completed the sweep with 8-0 victories.

The Lady Falcons then fell to Portsmouth, 6-3, on Tuesday, April 15.

Foy led the team, winning both her No. 4 singles match, 8- 3, and her No. 2 doubles match with Card, 8-2. Torres won her No. 1 singles match, 8-5.